Sonneberg Observatory
Image: Wikimedia Commons
On the Erbisbühl hill in the Neufang district of Sonneberg, Germany, the Sonneberg Observatory has spent a century watching the sky's variable stars, building up one of the world's great photographic archives along the way.
About Sonneberg Observatory
The observatory was founded in 1925 on the initiative of Cuno Hoffmeister, backed by the town of Sonneberg and the Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung. It sits at 638 metres altitude.
History
Since its founding, Sonneberg Observatory has carried out long-term studies of variable stars, monitoring the sky continuously through photography. That work has left it with one of the largest archives of astronomical plates anywhere. The site has also always made public outreach part of its mission, work that now continues through the Astronomy Museum on site.
Location & getting there
The observatory is located at 638 metres altitude on Erbisbühl, in the Neufang district of Sonneberg, Germany.
Visiting Sonneberg Observatory
The on-site Astronomy Museum welcomes visitors; check the museum's website for current opening hours before you travel.
See your named star from here
An observatory built around decades of variable-star monitoring is a natural fit for tracking down a named star's coordinates too. If you've named a star with us, its position is ready to find, or browse the star catalogue to see what's already been named.
Opening hours and public-visit programs vary by season. Check Google Maps for current times before you travel.
